Bakura's Illness
by Ryou 'Sweetie' Bakura
Summary: Yami Bakura somehow managed to get his own body, but thngs don't go as well as they should. Read to fnd out more. Ratng will go up with Chapter 6. Slight mention of abuse and slight swearing.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT in any way, shape or form own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of it's characters. They belong to the wonderful Kazuki Takahashi.

A/N: I apologize in advance for the shortness of this chapter, the others will be a lot longer. I promise you that.

On an unusually cloudy night in the city of Domino, there was an unusually bright light seeming to come from a small apartment building. Being that it was rather late at night or early in the morning depending on how you looked at it; the only inhabitant had lain in sound slumber. That is, until the bright light woke him up. Ryou opened his eyes slowly but had to squint so he could see. He pushed himself into a sitting position on his bed then looked about the room. Being that the light was so bright, he couldn't locate the source immediately, but eventually did when his gaze settled upon his millennium item, the Millennium Ring.

'_Well, that doesn't look good.' _He thought to himself before climbing off the bed and walked to where the Ring hung off the arm of a chair. '_I thought he was gone. I hadn't heard anything from him in a while…'_

He then reached out to lift the Ring from the char but at that point the light the light became blindingly bright and the Ring emitted a strange force. The next thing Ryou knew, he was flung back across the room, thankfully landing on the bed, as he landed the room suddenly darkened, becoming pitch-black once more. At this point, Ryou would have to admit that he was scared, though he would probably have to admit that in any circumstance. He sat on the bed for a few moments trying to listen for any unusual sounds. He shivered a bit and glanced towards the window, which he had opened early in the evening. He sighed a bit realizing that there was no outside source of light and he was having trouble with getting his eyes to adjust to the darkness. His gaze then moved from the window toward a small alarm clock on his dresser and grunted irritably. It was nearly four in the morning. After, he shook his head and glanced to the bedroom door and jumped upon hearing the clinking of metal upon metal.

Ryou quickly got off the bed once more and moved to the door, making it about half-way until he felt his foot catch on something, sending him sprawling onto the floor. Soon after, he heard a light groan. Ryou felt his pulse quicken then hastily got back onto his feet, and practically threw himself at the wall. As soon as he hit the wall, he flipped the switch and heard a barely audible hiss. He turned in the direction in which he heard the sound and looked, his eyes widening. Nothing could prepare him for what or rather who he saw.

"B-Bakura?" He muttered with a slight gasp.


	2. Chapter 2

Ryou stared at the somewhat unconscious tomb robber for what felt like an eternity. He eventually regained his composure and slowly moved toward the other. Once he got close enough, he knelt down beside Bakura and placed a hand on his shoulder and gently tried to shake him awake. He knew that trying to wake him could be a bad idea, especially if the former spirit decided to lash out at him.

"Bakura? Can you hear me?" He felt a bit silly asking that because he was sure Bakura could. He was awarded with another groan followed by a slight coughing fit. Ryou was amazed that the thief still hadn't woken up. He sighed softly '_I hope he isn't getting sick. I don't think he's ever been sick. It would be his luck though.' _He thought to himself then pushed himself back onto his feet and gazed at the other's face. He noticed that the Yami's hair had gotten longer and that he looked completely different when he was sleeping. Ryou let his eyes wander over the rest of Bakura's body. His eyes widened when he saw that several things were wrong. Bakura's clothes were torn in multiple places and there was blood here and there.

Ryou couldn't tell what kinds of injuries the thief had but knew they weren't good. It was at this point when he noticed thin red lines around his wrists and ankles, as if the other had been tied to something. Ryou once again focused on the other's face. '_What happened to you, Bakura?' _He wondered as he walked to the small nightstand beside his bed and picked up his cell phone. He then glanced back to Bakura and sighed. '_I know you're going to hate me, but I don't know what else to do.'_ He thought as he dialed a number and prayed he didn't get the voice mail.

He was a bit surprised when a sleepy sounding Yugi picked up on the third ring. "Hello?" The tri-color haired teen mumbled after he answered.

"Uh…It's Ryou and I'm terribly sorry to wake you, but I kind of have a problem here."

"What is it, Ryou?" A slightly different voice replied.

Ryou blinked when the other's voice changed. '_They must've switched on me. Oh well.'_ He took a deep breath and answered. "Bakura's back. And he's not in good shape at all."

"What? That's not possible. I personally sent him to the Shadow Realm with no way back."

"I know, I was there remember? The fact of the matter is that he's unconscious on my bedroom floor, bleeding. I'm afraid to even move him right now."

"He managed to get his own body? And what do you mean he's bleeding?"

"Just that, Pharaoh." He muttered then looked back to his former dark half. "Most of it appears to be coming from his back though. I can't get to it because of how he is laying. And it doesn't help that I tripped over him either."

He could hear the other two talking amongst themselves and sighed. He jumped when he heard the pharaoh's voice again. "Is there anything else wrong with him, Ryou?"

Ryou continued to watch the thief. "I'm not sure. The only other things I see are the red marks around his wrists and ankles. I think he was chained up to something."

"Alright. Yugi and I will be there shortly. Just hope the injuries aren't as severe as I think they are… One more thing, Ryou. I want you to lightly press on Bakura's stomach and tell me if he has any kind of reaction. If he does, there is something very wrong."

"Huh? I don't want to hurt him any more than he already is…Wouldn't that depend on the reaction?"

"Just do it, Ryou. You won't hurt him any more than he is. Okay, if he cries out in pain, that's a bad sign. Even if he winces, it would still be bad but not what we're looking for."

"What exactly are you looking for then?"

"I'll explain when we get there. It's something that has happenedto both him and myself, but mostly him."

Ryou asked the pharaoh to hold on then sat down beside Bakura. He really didn't want to hurt him or anything but he eventually did what Yami had asked him to do. He lifted the blue and white striped shirt Bakura still wore then lightly pressed on his stomach with both hands. He kept his eyes on Bakura's face as he did so. All he got was a pained grunt. He sighed softly then picked the phone back up. "Well, he didn't cry out or wake up."

The pharaoh nodded even though he knew the other couldn't see it. "Try to wake him and keep him calm. He probably won't be the same as he was but he might also be the same. No way to really tell yet though."

Ryou sighed softly. "I'm afraid to wake him up though." He muttered before thanking the other or the help and hanging up the phone. He sat on the bed and half-heartedly glared at the Ring and wondered why Bakura had come back here. He pushed all the thoughts away as he watched Bakura for a bit before sitting next to him. He tried shaking him and slapping him but neither worked so he got up and left the room, returning a few minutes later with a glass of water. He stopped outside the door when he heard muffled sobbing.

He opened the door a little bit and looked inside the room. '_Guess he finally woke up.'_ He thought as he saw his dark sitting up on the floor with his back against the bed, he face buried into his arms which were on his knees. Ryou could see a part of a chain hanging from around his waist.

"Bakura?" He said before taking a few steps into the room then settling himself on the bed. He was surprised when the other looked up at him and he saw the tears fall. Ryou shook his head then moved to the floor so he could put his arms around Bakura's shaking shoulders and held him. He was amazed when the other didn't push him away as he usually would, but instead buried his head in Ryou's shoulder and continued sobbing.

Ryou could only do one thing to help and that was to hold him and comfort him until the pharaoh got there. "You'll be fine, Bakura." If the white-haired Yami had heard him, he showed no sign of it.


	3. Chapter 3

Their embrace only lasted for a few moments until Ryou heard a knock on the front door and Bakura tensed up slightly. Ryou looked down at him and was hesitant to let him go, instead opting into helping the other onto his bed. He could tell that every movement hurt the former spirit even though he tried his best to hide it. After he got the other in a more comfortable position, he covered him in a light blanket since it was still a bit cool in the apartment. After making sure everything was okay, Ryou went to answer the door though he wasn't really surprised it was the pharaoh.

"Good morning, Ryou. Where is the thief?"

Ryou motioned towards the bedroom with his head. "He finally managed to wake up but all he did was cry. That was a bit scary, really, because he's never cried before."

"He must be in a lot more pain than we thought he was." Ryou nodded and lead the pharaoh to his room. The pharaoh's eyes widened when he took in Bakura's appearance. "You look terrible, tomb robber."

Bakura just glared at the pharaoh. "Thanks for noticing." He muttered as he wiped the tear tracks from his face, embarrassed that his enemy saw him in such a state of weakness. He then began to massage his wrists. "It's your fault I ended up like this, pharaoh."

Ryou glanced from one to the other, listening to their nonsense of an argument. "It's both your faults. Now stop fighting and Bakura, tell us what happened in the Shadow Realm."

"There's nothing to tell." He stated matter-of-factly.

Ryou shook his head. "You're not being a very good liar right now. You know that right?"

Bakura glared at him then fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "Why do you even care about what happened in the first place? None of you have ever cared before."

Ryou shook his head once more. "You were always trying to kill everyone, Bakura."

Bakura sighed and examined his wrists once more. He looked up when he felt his light's eyes on him. "What?"

Ryou continued watching him. "Can you walk?'

"I believe so. Why?"

"I think you should clean yourself up, Bakura. You might feel better when your injuries are cleaned out and you don't have the blood on you anymore."

Bakura paled slightly. "Not sure if I can do that on my own yet." He mumbled looking towards the Ring.'

"Well, the pharaoh can help you out." Ryou replied then glanced to Yami.

The pharaoh looked back to Ryou and gave a small nod, being that he really didn't want to be in the same small room as the thief. "Okay. I'll help him but there might be some colorful words." He said with a smirk as he looked back to Bakura.

Bakura narrowed his eyes and huffed angrily. "It appears I have no choice in the matter." He managed to reply before he had another coughing fit. He winced when he was done then looked to Ryou. "That actually hurt."

Ryou shrugged. "It sounded like it did. You did that earlier as well." He replied watching the other try to get off the bed. Ryou gave him a hand to help him up and sighed. "Are you sure you can walk, Bakura?"

The thief glanced at him and managed to stand on his own though he swayed a bit. After a few minutes, he let out a strangled yelp right before falling onto the floor. "Guess not." He muttered to himself, still not believing how weak he had become.

Ryou watched as Bakura fell then went to help the other with a sigh. He carefully led him to the bathroom. When he got there, he glanced at the pharaoh for a minute before leaving the room, closing the door behind himself.

Bakura glared when Ryou left him with the pharaoh. He really didn't want to be in the same room as the other and managed to keep his gaze elsewhere. He felt terrible; he hurt, and felt like he was going to be sick. He put his hand on his stomach and whimpered as the feeling grew stronger.

The pharaoh blinked when heard Bakura whimper and barely had enough time to move out of the way and shook his head when he heard the other begin to vomit. He knew it would hurt since the thief hadn't eaten anything either. With a sigh he held the thief's hair back out of his face with one hand and gently rubbed his back with the other. He felt a bit relieved when the thief finished and fell back against him.

"Are you feeling any better?"

Bakura tilted his head back slightly to somewhat see the pharaoh behind him, being that he'd end up getting his hair pulled in any other way. "No. And being in here with you isn't helping."

Yami chose to ignore Bakura's last comment but instead bent forward and gave Bakura a gentle kiss. However, he wasn't ready for Bakura's response as he was thrown over the other's shoulder. He looked up from his new position on the floor and was met with a glare from the thief. The main thing he focused on was the way the other's hair had fallen over his shoulder though it was horribly tangled. He was shaken from his thoughts when Bakura spoke.

"What the hell, Pharaoh?" Bakura tried to keep his voice normal but failed.

The pharaoh just shrugged as if nothing happened. "Get n the shower, thief." He replied after getting back on his feet. He then began to walk towards the door, stopping beside the thief. He then nipped Bakura's ear than whispered into it. "I'm going to make you mine one way or another, Bakura." He then left the room, not caring about the thief's reaction.


	4. Chapter 4

Bakura paled when he heard the pharaoh's words. He didn't know what he should do or say. All he managed to do was lock the door then slide down the wall he had pressed himself against and placed his face in his hands. Eventually, Bakura got into the shower and tried his best to get clean.

Ryou looked up when Bakura came out about an hour later and watched as he sat on the bed with just a towel wrapped around his thin torso, his hair down and dripping down his shoulders.

Bakura looked at his light half."Is the pharaoh gone?"

Ryou nodded. "Shortly before you got out." He tilted his head. "He said he might come back later to check on you."

Bakura closed his eyes and rested his back against the wall, wincing as he did so. "Don't let him. And if you have to have him over, don't leave." He muttered then opened his eyes again and looked at his wrists.

Ryou watched him. "You can tell me what happened, you know that, right?"

Bakura just nodded. "I know but probably wouldn't be able to handle it…"

Ryou tilted his head. "Try me."

Bakura looked away and sighed, not finding any other options. "First off, I wasn't supposed to escape and I will pay for it if I am caught. This basically means that I literally can't do anything that I was able to do before. I'm pretty much helpless."

"How would they know if you do?"

"They put a thing in me… They called it a 'Shadow Magic tracking device' so they know if I'm trying to use Shadow Magic or anything. Even if someone near me uses it, I'm as good as dead." He then glanced to Ryou. "I think it's making me sick…"

Ryou looked back to the thief. "How could it be making you sick?"

Bakura glared at him. "Think about it, Ryou. I was a spirit when they put it in and now I'm not. I don't even know what it's trying to do to this body. They say that if it's put into a normal, living human, they'll die."

Ryou blinked and sighed. "Then we find out where it is and find a way to destroy it." He replied and moved closer to the former spirit. He then reached out and took the other's wrist, frowning when Bakura hissed in pain. "I think your wrist is broken, Bakura." He paused and tilted his head as if thinking. He then moved closer and placed a hand on his forehead, under his bangs. He quickly withdrew his hand. "You're burning up as well."

Bakura took his hand back and glared at the younger male. "I think I'd know that much. I'm not stupid like you or your friends think I am."

Ryou sighed. "No one ever said you were." He stood and looked at him. "I'm going to get some ice, alcohol, and bandages." He told Bakura then left to get said items. Before doing so, he pulled out an electric thermometer and took the thief's temperature. He looked at the thermometer afterwards and shook his head. "102.4 is not a good temperature…" He said to himself then got the other a glass of water and a fever reducer. "Take this and I'll be right back." He said then left the thief.

A/N: I am very sorry that this chapter is so short. chapter 5 may be as well though. I'm trying my best with this.


	5. Chapter 5

Bakura watched the light go into a small room before taking the medication he had been given, grimacing slightly. '_Everything is small here. That can't be right.'_

Ryou returned a few minutes later and handed Bakura the icepack. "Put that on your wrist then lay down on your stomach. I'm going to clean the whip marks on your back first." He could tell that Bakura really didn't want to deal with it or feel any more pain. He knew the other would deal with it whether he wanted to or not, however. Ryou thought back a few hours ago, when Bakura had returned from the Shadows. He still wondered why the other had come but somehow knew he wouldn't be able to get any straight answers from the thief.

Bakura glared at him when he took the ice and eventually did as he was told, placing the ice on his wrist. He yelped when Ryou put a damp cloth on one of the wounds. He whimpered softly and winced as Ryou poured the liquid directly on the wounds. He bit his lip to keep himself from crying out. He knew that he not only felt weak but most likely looked weak as well. He hadn't been able to really look in the mirror for fear of seeing not just himself, but one of the beings from the Shadow Realm. Though he would never admit, it actually scared him and he was having a hard time keeping it inside himself. He hated looking or being weak in front of anyone, including his enemies. Even Ryou. He was supposed to protect the younger, not almost get himself killed. He felt his eyes watering as he tried to hide his face in his arms. The one thing that he didn't want to feel resurfaced. He felt as if he'd let his family down, even though he knew there was nothing he could've done about it, then or now. He managed to keep himself quiet as Ryou began to clean the injuries, well, the physical one at least. Nothing would help with the emotional and mental scars that he had.

Ryou noticed when Bakura yelped but continued to clean the injuries though he wondered what the older male was thinking about. He kind of wondered if it had something t do with what had happened. He sighed and shook his head. '_If the dark can't be strong for the light, the light must be strong for the dark. He's been through so much, more than I can possibly even imagine.' _ He knew that it would've hurt either way. He didn't know of everything that had happened but what he had heard was enough for him to almost hurt someone. Pushing the thoughts away, he continued with his cleaning and hoped that none of the wounds would become infected. Once he was done with one area, he layered the bandages on it, then moved to the next area. He made sure that his dark half maintained at least some of his dignity by making sure the thief remained covered.

After awhile, Ryou noticed that Bakura's breathing had lightened a bit. He smiled softly then put away the medical supplies. He looked at the other's face and gently moved a few bangs out of the way. '_He looks a bit healthier now…though he still has a while to go until he's completely back to normal. I'm not sure if I'd want that though…' _He thought as he pulled the blankets over the sleeping thief. Afterwards, he got on a couch near the window and fell asleep on it.

After a few hours, Ryou woke up and went to check on the thief. He blinked, noticing that the other wasn't where he had been sleeping. "Bakura?" He called his name and checked through some of the house to no avail. '_Where did he go this time?' _He asked himself, starting to feel worried.


	6. Chapter 6

Ryou jumped when he heard a sudden loud shriek coming from somewhere toward the back of the house, there was really no other way for him to describe the sound. He ran to the far back of the house and stopped outside the door and to one of the guest rooms that he had failed to check before. He heard another scream followed by a weak sounding protest.

Ryou clenched the heaviest thing he could find at the time, being the Millennium Ring, and held it by the leather strap it was attached to. He placed his hand on the door handle and pushed it open. His eyes n disgust before he registered the tri-colored teen on the white-haired Yami, whose face showed nothing but pain. He heard the latter yelp as his hair was pulled harshly, then tightened the cord and let the Ring fly. He knew how the pointers felt when they hit or attached themselves to you from personal experience.

He felt an odd satisfaction when the Ring hit the other. He looked at the teen with a glare that could rival Bakura's. "Get the hell off him and get the fuck out of my house!" He shouted as he wrenched the pharaoh away from his dark and pushed him on the floor, ignoring Bakura's pained whine.

Ryou continued to glare at the pharaoh then struck him with the Ring once more before pushing him out the door and dragging him down the hall and throwing him against the door. "I said to get the fuck out of my house! I don't care who you are or him, that doesn't give you the right to do that to him! I don't want to ever see your face around here again!" He shouted then slammed the door shut.

After throwing the pharaoh out, Ryou went to check on the former spirit. He sat down beside him and placed a hand on the other's back. "He's gone, Bakura. How did he get in?"

Bakura glared at his light and covered himself with the tattered towel. "I don't know. I woke up and he was hovering over me then dragged me in here, threw me on the bed… You know everything else…"

Ryou shook his head. "Did you even try defending yourself?"

Bakura's glare darkened a bit before he got off the bed and left the room with a slight limp. Ryou watched him leave and sighed as he heard the sound of running water. He then got off the couch and went into the kitchen. He pulled down a few cans of soup and a large pot. He felt bad about what he had said to the former spirit. He sighed as he put the soup in the pot and turned it on.

He looked up when Bakura came into the kitchen with a towel on his head. "How are you feeling?" He asked as he watched the thief sat down.

Bakura gave him a slightly helpless look. "Before I was feeling terrible, now I feel a lot worse." He muttered then ran a hand through his damp white hair and gave a small wince. "Bastard…He used Shadow Magic too." He finished with a low growl.

Ryou blinked. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Bakura just looked at him without saying anything. '_Didn't I explain that earlier?'_ He thought then glanced at the table.

Ryou sighed inwardly then put a hand on the other's hand. "Like I said before, you'll be fine."

Bakura just nodded then coughed lightly. "I think I'm sick Ryou."

Ryou kept his gaze on the other and looked at his eyes. He had always thought they were interesting with how the brown mixes with the red. "Should I take you to the hospital?"

Bakura shuddered at the thought of that. "Not really."

Ryou turned away and stirred the soup some. "What are you going to do now?"

Bakura looked up at Ryou and fiddled with his own copy of the Millennium Ring. "Find a way to get this out of me so I can get payback. No one rapes the king of thieves and gets away with it." He replied with a mischievous look in his eyes.

Ryou glanced at him. "I see you've gotten some of your old charm back."

Bakura just shrugged and fixed his shirt. "Never really lost it."

"Whatever you say, 'Kura."

Bakura dropped the Ring onto his chest and glared at the younger male. "Don't call me that, Ryou."

"Why not?"

"It sounds so girly."

"So?"

Bakura sighed and glared at the table. He blinked when a bowl of soup was put in front of him and saw a grinning Ryou. "You need to eat, Bakura."

Bakura just looked from Ryou to the bowl then shook his head. "I'm not hungry."

Ryou sighed and rolled his eyes. "I don't believe that at all. You haven't eaten since we shared this body. If you want to get revenge or payback on anyone, you're going to have to focus on getting your strength back up."

Bakura growled lightly. "Fine." He mumbled then picked up his spoon and began to eat.

Ryou tilted his head watching his dark. He was surprised that the other didn't seem to be in any pain at all. '_Something's not right with that. If it was me, I'd probably still be in there. He is quite admirable in many ways though.' _He thought to himself then jumped slightly when his cell began to ring. He picked it up and looked at the caller ID. '_Yugi? Why is he calling?'_


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Okay, i really need to focus on making these chapters longer :/ And update faster. **

**I also thank those that have continued to read and wait for this fic to be updated :)**

Ryou looked from the phone to Bakura before he answered it. "Hello?"

"Ryou? Is it you?"

Ryou blinked when Yugi asked that. "Of course it's me. Why wouldn't I be? Why are you calling?"

Yugi sighed "Yami told me that Bakura was back."

Ryou growled inwardly. "Yes, he's back. And he's nowhere near the way you think he is." He shivered when he felt the other's gaze on him. "He's not happy though."

"Of course he's not, Ryou. No one is suffering by his hands."

Ryou sighed "No one's suffering by him but he's suffering by everyone." He replied then glanced to the thief.

"Whatever, Ryou. He deserves what he gets."

Ryou lowered his voice some. "How does he deserve to be treated like shit? How does he deserve to be raped?"

"….Who raped him, Ryou?"

"Ask the almighty pharaoh." Ryou answered then hung up on the younger male. He didn't want to deal with all that while trying to be sure Bakura was okay.

Bakura looked at Ryou "Who was that?"

"Yugi." Ryou answered then sat across from the thief. "Do you need any help?"

Bakura shook his head. "No…What did he want?"

Ryou shrugged "I suppose he wants you to suffer."

"Like I'm not already?"

Ryou just shrugged again and looked away. He jumped when there was a knock on the door. Bakura stood and looked towards the door then down to the Ring.

"Wonder who it could be." He mumbled with a smirk then left the room. Shortly after, Ryou heard a thud followed by Bakura's laughter. He then moved t the living rom.

"What did you do, Bakura?"

Bakura looked at him and shrugged playfully. "I didn't do anything. I just opened the door and he fainted."

Ryou looked at the other. He was a bit caught off guard with the sound of the thief's voice. "Do you want to get caught using your Shadow Magic?"

Bakura stiffened then looked towards the light. His body was giving off a dark aura as he spoke. "I don't really care if they do."

"Bakura." Ryou watched as Bakura looked down at his victim. "How did he get a body?" He asked looking down at the blonde Egyptian yami.

Bakura shrugged. "It doesn't really matter. Now does it?" He questioned when he glanced at the light half.

Ryou looked back at him. He wasn't sure what to say so he moved a bit closer to the other. "I guess not." He then shook his head a bit. "You need to be careful, Bakura."

Bakura just stared at him and nodded. "Though I still don't see why you'd care…" He said as he left the room.

Soon after the former spirit left, Ryou heard a rather strange sound. He couldn't tell what was causing it. He went into the living room where the thief had gone first. He then tilted his head when he noticed Bakura standing in the middle of the room, looking back over his shoulder to the doorway. Ryou's eyes widened a bit more at this being that the other's eyes seemed to be empty. "Bakura?"


	8. Chapter 8

After a few minutes, Bakura seemed to register that Ryou had been repeatedly saying his name but he didn't have a lot of time to actually react. He blinked when he felt a sharp pain near his stomach, then placed his arms around the area and grunted when the pain intensified. Soon afterward, he began to feel his strength leave his body as he fell to his knees, the pain turning into pure agony. He gasped as he fell to the floor, he moaned in pain as he tried to look up at his light, silently pleading for some sort of help.

Ryou watched in horror as the other grasped his stomach and fell to his knees. He gasped when the other looked up at him, his eyes filled with anger and pain. He would never forget what that kind of look was. Even though he wasn't physically feeling his pain, he could still feel it on a more spiritual level, mostly due to the connection the two shared. At the point where Bakura started to vomit blood was when Ryou really started to panic.

"Bakura!" He shouted then ran to the other male and placed his hand on the thif's shoulder. Bakura growled softly as Ryou did this, causing the other to move his hand. He was afraid and didn't know what to do. He quickly grabbed his phone and called for an ambulance.

"It'll be alright, Bakura. Just hold on.." He muttered as he tried to keep the other calm, even though there really wasn't any way to remain calm in a situation like this.

Bakura glanced at Ryou and tried to push himself back up. He growled at the pain that grew worse every time he moved. Eventually, he gave up and remained on the floor. "This hurts a lot, Ryou." Ryou nodded, hecould tell that much then jumped when he heard someone banging on the front door. "Looks like the Pharaoh has arrived..." Bakura managed to say before passing out, the pain being more than he could handle.

After seeing that Bakura passed out, Ryou ran and opened the door. "What are you doing here?"

The other male ignored the younger and went straight to where the thief was. He knelt down beside the other and took his hand in one and moved his snowy bangs with the other. "You've called for an ambulance, right?'' He asked as he glanced at the younger.

Ryou nodded and looked at his former dark half. "You haven't answered the question, Pharaoh."

'_Starting to sound just like him.' _Yami smirked slightly as he thought to himself then looked back to the thief. "Well, the Puzzle and the Ring are connected in ways you can't imagine and always have been. Why or how, I do not know." He answered keeping his gaze on Bakura. "I think we're losing him, Ryou. Even though he has a very high fever and his pulse is quite rapid, his breathing has become a lot shallower."

Ryou nodded as he heard the sirens drawing closer then heard the paramedics arrive. He backed away from the unconscious thief and dragged the pharaoh with him. They could only watch helplessly as the paramedics put Bakura on the stretcher and left with him.

Ryou then looked at the pharaoh. "There are things from the past that he doesn't remember, isn't there?"

Yami nodded and looked back to Ryou. "It looks like it's best that he doesn't remember those things. I am sorry for what happened earlier though. It wasn't supposed to be a rape, Ryou."

Ryou looked away nodding. "I think I understand now." He looked back to the pharaoh. "You two had a relationship of some kind back in Ancient Egypt weren't you?"

The pharaoh nodded. "Yes." It was a simple answer. "But from reading his thoughts, I know that he loves you now."

Ryou blinked. "He does? Well, he hasn't hurt me or anything."

"I know. That's all why he came back in the first place. We were talking before I took advantage of him. He is very scared, Ryou though I can't blame him, and he's going to need a lot of help."

Ryou shrugged and kept his gaze on the other. "I know he's going to need help and I'll help him as much as I can." He smiled softly. "I just need to keep him from being locked in a room with you."

Yami gave him a dirty look. "I'll keep my hands off him and make sure nothing happens to him either way."

Ryou nodded and picked up his car keys. "How about we head over to the hospital and find out how his condition is..."

Yami nodded and followed him out the door. "Good idea."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Okay, I know I don't typically do this but depending on what happens (Whether or not anyone reads or reviews) but this might be the last chapter though it isn't supposed to be the last. In all honesty, I don't feel motivated enough to type out anymore of this story but I have the whole thing already written. Either way, we'll see how this goes. Thanks if you read this though

They arrived at the hospital in about half an hour. Ryou walked into the hospital closely followed by the pharaoh. He walked up to the receptionist and waited for them to look at him. When they did acknowledge him, he gave them a sweet smile. "Hello, can you tell me if my brother, Bakura has been brought in?"

The receptionist looked over to the computer screen and typed the information that was given to them. "It looks like he has been brought in and is currently in surgery." She replied looking back to him. "I will inform the doctor that you are here and inform you of what his condition is."

Ryou nodded and went to sit by the pharaoh. "He's in surgery now but they'll tell us when he's out."

The pharaoh looked at him and nodded. "Alright." He replied and picked up a magazine.

An hour later, one of the doctors came out of a closed room and looked towards Ryou as he walked over to the pair with a strange look on his face. "Are you friends or family of Bakura?"

Ryou nodded. "He's my brother."

The doctor nodded. "Well, he's stable at the moment but he's also lost a lot of blood. Most of his injuries have been cleaned and bandaged though some were infected. The biggest issue at hand is the fact that there were several metal shards in him. We have no idea how that's even possible."

Ryou shuddered slightly. "Metal shards?"

The doctor nodded. "Yes. It's hard to tell where they were originally but it must've caused him a lot of pain."

Ryou nodded. "How long should he be here?"

"Anywhere between a few days to a few months. It depends on how fast his body can heal and we also believe he should be kept for observation purposes." The doctor answered then glanced towards a clipboard he was holding.

Ryou tilted his head. "Alright. When would we be able to see him?"

"Probably when he wakes up. We'll keep you informed though."

Ryou nodded and smiled. "Thank you."

The doctor gave him a reassuring smile before heading back to the doors he had come out of. As he left, Ryou went back to stand by the pharaoh and looked at him. "I don't think Bakura's going to want to see you when he wakes though."

Yami looked over to him and nodded. "I have to agree. I wouldn't want to see me either." He said sadly as he fixed his gaze on his hands as he thought about everything that had happened the past few days. He was surprised when the thief had come back from the shadows and still wondered how that had happened. He looked around at all the other people in the waiting room, most likely waiting for the statuses of their own loved ones and friends. After a few minutes, he looked back to Ryou.

Ryou hadn't noticed the other's gaze on him as he fiddled with his own copy of the Millennium Ring. The only thing he could think about was of what the thief had been telling him or had been trying to tell him. In some part, he blamed himself for what happened to Bakura. He wished he had known better, maybe he would have been able to help the other more than he had. After awhile, he placed his face in his hands and gripped his snow white bangs while trying to dig his nails into his scalp. He jumped when he felt someone grab his hand and looked up to see the former pharaoh there. He had forgotten he was even there.

Yami looked at the teen and sight. "He's stronger than you think, Ryou. He will pull through this."

Ryou nodded slowly. "What if…He doesn't?" He asked quietly.

Yami sighed softly. "We mustn't think of things like that. We must believe that he has the strength to overcome this. After all, he had the strength to last for thousands of years." He added quietly to avoid receiving odd looks.

Ryou smiled softly. "Yes, but it didn't help him at all."

"No, but you helped him. A lot more than what you think you did."

Ryou silently nodded "I know. But I wasn't able to help him when he needed it."

Yami shook his head. "It's not your fault. No one could have predicted that this would happen. Stop blaming yourself."

Ryou sighed softly. "I know I shouldn't blame myself, but I still feel like it's my fault. He told me about a device that was put inside him and I didn't even do anything to help him get rid of it. And anyone could tell he was in pain even though he didn't like to show weakness of any kind much less in front of his good for nothing host." Ryou growled the last part while glaring at the floor.

Yami blinked when Ryou had finished his tirade. "That's not how he thought of you at all, Ryou."

Ryou shook his head and turned his gaze to the pharaoh. "You haven't been in his mind or shared it with him. Of course you'd say that because the bond you shared with Yugi was so strong…"

"That may be true but your bonds were quite strong as well. Why else would he choose to come back to you?"

Ryou looked at him with a puzzled expression. "I honestly don't know."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **It's finally an update! Celebrate! Anyway, thank you to those that are reading, even if there's no reviews. Just knowing that some are reading is good enough for me.

Now to the newest chapter~

Yami looked back at Ryou then moved to sit better. "Ryou, he came back to you because of how close you two have become and even though you may think that you didn't do anything to help him but, all in all, you've helped him the most." He replied, explaining what he meant.

Ryou nodded with a soft sigh. "I guess so, but I still feel like this my fault." He whispered.

Yami reached out and put his hand gently on the other's. "It's not your fault, Ryou." He replied then looked up when one of the doctors came from where Bakura was. He stopped nearby then looked at the two before waving them to follow him. Yami gave a slight nod before getting up and taking Ryou with him then went in the room with him.

Ryou walked with Yami then slipped in a seat in the office they had gone into and looked at the doctor, not really surprised when they had closed the door. He then looked at the doctor. "How is he? Is he awake now?"

The doctor looked at the younger teen then nodded. "Bakura is awake for the moment and he does want to see you. However, I don't think it's a good time."

Ryou blinked then tilted his head a bit. "Why do you think that? You're not going to let us see him?"

The doctor shook his head. "I didn't say anything about letting you see him; I don't think it's a good time yet. He is still stable but he recently had surgery. Knowing that, he's still in a great deal of pain and he is unable to eat or drink anything due to the extensive injury to his digestive tract, so he's on a feeding tube. "

Yami raised a brow. "How long is he going to be on the feeding tube?" He asked, wanting to know whatever he could.

The doctor's attention shifted towards Yami. "Until everything is fully healed, this could take a long time."

Ryou listened to what the doctor had said with a nod. "What about until then?"

The doctor looked at Ryou. "If he continues to remain stable and shows signs of healing and not becoming worse, he'll be released but he'd need supervision. Chances of him being able to eat solids by then are rather slim. Anything he would normally eat would have to be put into a liquid form, to make it easier for him to digest."

Ryou listened to him then nodded. "I can do that…" He replied in a thoughtful manner.

The doctor looked over to him once more then passed a few papers over to him. "He will remain under our care for a few more days to keep an eye on him and ensure that he is healing." He spoke, keeping his eyes on Ryou. "What happens next is not certain." He glanced at the papers in front of Ryou. "Those are prescriptions for pain medications and others that I would like him to take."

Ryou looked down at the papers then sighed lightly. "I'll get them before I leave." He replied quietly before standing up and shaking the doctor's hand. "Call me if anything happens to him." He said before leaving the room they were in.


End file.
